A conventional information input-output system is explained below. In recent years, portable information devices such as note PCs and PDAs (Personal Digital Assistants) and mobile communication terminals such as PHSs (Personal Handy-Phone System) and cellular phones have been widely used. In association with the widespread use of these devices, the processing of creating documents or the processing of communications by electronic mail can easily be performed wherever the devices may be used. Further, by using a communication function provided in these devices, a variety of services (e.g., services of banks (reference to balance, money transfer to an account, or so), booking of tickets, or booking of airline tickets) can be provided from carriers over a network (communication line).
However, these conventional portable information devices carry no printer to print out created documents and information obtained through the variety of services. Therefore, printout cannot easily be performed on the road, for example. To solve the problem, there has been proposed an information input-output system which allows a user of the portable information device to instruct printout of desired information to a spot (printer) in a destination (the place where the user goes) specified by the user of the portable information device.
FIG. 11 is a flow chart showing the processing of information output in the information input-output system described in JP, HEI 10-222527A. This chart shows the processing between a PDA and a service center that provides the service to print out desired information onto a specified spot in a destination. FIG. 11 specifically shows a case in which a user is provided with a travel information service.
The user of a PDA selects a travel information service out of a variety of services by input operation through the PDA (step S101). The user then inputs search/output request data indicating information for a destination where the user goes, namely a place of departure, a destination, a mode of transportation, and a target device for data output, or so (step S102) through the PDA, and transmits search/output demand information relating to this search/output request data to a service center (step S103).
On the other hand, the service center receives the search/output demand information (step S111) and checks a mode of transportation (step S112). For example, when the transportation mode is a car (step S112, vehicle), the service center searches geographical information from an existing database based on the simultaneously received information for the place of departure and the destination, and edits a road map (step S113). When the transportation mode is a train (step S112, railway), the service center searches information for timetables from the existing database based on the simultaneously received information for the place of departure and the destination, and edits a railway timetable covering from the place of departure to the destination (step S114).
The service center then performs the processing of creating information incidental to the information edited at step S113 and step S114 (step S115). At this step, the service center creates information for sightseeing around the destination and weather information. The service center then specifies a spot (a printer or a display of the PDA), to which the information created so far is to be output (step S116), based on the target device for data output specified by the user (step S104).
For example, when the display of the PDA is specified (step S104: user's device, step S116: PDA), the service center transmits the previously created information to the PDA (step S117), and the PDA then outputs the information onto the display (step S105).
On the other hand, when the printer is specified (step S104: another printer, step S116: another printer), the service center searches various types of facilities (e.g., convenience stores, gas stations, SA, or tollbooths on a highway) where the same type of printer as that stored in the database is located, creates a list of candidates for a target device for output, and transmits the list to the PDA (step S118). The PDA then displays the list on its screen (step S106), the user selects a target device for output of the candidates, and transmits the information for the specified target device for output (step S107). At the last step, the service center receives the information for the specified target device for output (step S119), and controls so as to permit the printer, that is specified as a target device for output, to print out the information such as the map or the timetable previously created (step S120).
As explained above, in the conventional information input-output system, even when the user of the portable information device (PDA or the like) is on the road, a target device for output can selectively be changed according to changes of a destination based on the service provided from the service center. Therefore, desired information can easily be output onto a printer installed in a specified location.
In the conventional information input-output system, however, user authentication is not confirmed in an input-output control unit for a printer or so as an object for output. Therefore, printout becomes possible by anybody operating this terminal (a portable information device, or a mobile communication terminal such as a PHS or a cellular phone). Namely, there has been a problem that reliability of security of information can not be ensured, because the user of the mobile communication terminal is not verified whether he or she is an authorized holder of this terminal.